an open window carelessly left open while he was out of his
cage, and suddenly found himself, for the first time in his life, in the
open air. He alighted first on an apple-tree in the yard, and then made
a grand flight half-way to the top of the elm-tree.

"The sun was bright and the air so still that the light snow which had
fallen in the night yet clung to the branches and twigs of the tree, and
Tufty examined it with interest, thinking it pretty but rather cold as
he poked it about with his bill, and tucked first one little foot, and
then the other, under him to keep it warm. Presently he heard an odd
little noise below him, and, looking down, saw on the trunk of the tree
a bird about his own size, with wings and back of a steel-gray color, a
white breast with a dash of dull red on it, and a long bill, with which
he was making the noise Tufty had heard by tapping on the tree.

"'Good-morning!' said Tufty, who was of a friendly and social
disposition, and was beginning to feel the need of company.

"'Morning!' said the woodpecker, very crisp and shorthand not so much as
looking up to see who had spoken to him.

"If you had heard this talk you would have said Tufty called out: 'Peep!
peep!' and the woodpecker--but that's because you don't understand
bird-language.

"'What are you doing down there?' said Tufty, continuing the
conversation.

"'Getting my breakfast,' said the woodpecker.

"'Why, I had mine a long time ago!' said Tufty.

"He didn't in the least understand how that knocking on the tree was to
bring Mr. Longbill's morning meal; but he was afraid to ask any more
questions, the other had been so short with him.

"Just then he heard a hoarse voice overhead saying, 'Come along! come
along!' and, looking up, saw a monstrous black creature sailing above
the tops of the trees. It was only a crow on his way to the swamp, and
he was trying to hurry up his mate, that always would lag behind in that
corn-field where there wasn't so much as a grain left; but Tufty, which
by this time you must have discovered was a very ignorant bird, thought
the black monster was calling _him_, and piped back feebly: 'I can't! I
can't!' and was all of a tremble till Mr. Crow was quite out of sight.

"He sat quiet, looking a little pensive, for the fact was, he was
beginning to feel lonely, when there flew past him a flock of brown
birds chirping and chattering away at a brisk rate. 'Now for it!'
thought Tufty, 'here's plenty